Opinions are divided as to whether drivers can rely unconditionally on Tesla’s Autopilot but one thing is certain: the self-driving tech is getting better.
The following dashcam footage is proof that leaving Autopilot on might not be such a bad idea after all, particularly on the highway where the driving experience is as rewarding as a punch in the face and drivers tend to lose focus more easily.
Speaking of losing focus, that’s exactly what the driver of a Toyota Corolla did just as a Tesla Model 3 was passing her by on the fast lane. We don’t know what the lady driver was doing at the time but her economy sedan swerved inexplicably to the left and entered the Tesla’s lane.
Also watch: Tesla Driver Nabbed Riding In Passenger Seat With Autopilot On
That prompted Autopilot to take a swift yet very effective avoidance maneuver. It all happened so fast that we doubt a human driver would have had the presence of spirit and quickness to avoid the crash. Thankfully, there was enough room between the Tesla and the median for Autopilot to use in order to avoid the Corolla sedan.
As the Model 3 owner wrote in the description of the video he uploaded on YouTube, Autopilot avoided “a potentially scary collision.” There’s no telling what the consequences might have been for the passengers of the Corolla and Model 3, not to mention other road users that happened to be near those cars at that particular moment.
Some of the commenters raised an interesting point: why doesn’t Tesla program Autopilot to honk the horn too in situations like these? In this case, we’re thinking the sound of the horn might have allowed the Corolla driver to regain control of the car more quickly.